Electrical starting apparatus



March 23 1926.

. F. J. HARDMAN ELECTRICAL STARTING APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1924Patented Mar. l23, 1926.

IIUNITEDSTATES A.PATiazNT OFFICE.

l FREDERICK J'. Hmm, Ol' DAYTON, OHIO, ABSIGNOR TO GENERAL MOTORS COR-POBATION, .A CORPORATION- OF DELAWARE.

ELECTRICAL STARTING APPARATUS.

Application nica my 15, 1924. serial no. 728,211.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Be .it known that I, FREDERICK J. HARD- MAN, la citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Dayton county of Montl gomery., and Stateof Ohio, have invented i certain new and useful Improvements inElectrical Starting Apparatus, of which the. following is a full, clear,'and exact descrip- This inventionD relates toa typeofqengine startinglapparatus vwhich includes an electric motor and mechanical connectionsbe- .tween the motor and engine includingan. y 'engine gear,- a normallydemeshed pinion ,-wj

and means. whereby, after the pinion has been` 'meshe'd with the enginegear, the pinion maybe moved by motor-operation into f yfull drivingengagement with the engine gear, and where when the engine starts.

The resent invention provides improved [means or manually shifting thepinion into Vvengagement'. with the engine ear and for closing the motorswitch, and or automatiy"cally" changing the leverage of the ymanuallyoperated shifting means with respect to the fp'inin, lso thatthe pinionwill be demeshed' regardless of continued maniplation of the sluitingmeans.

rIhe invention provides a pinion `shifting lever, a movable rodconnected with the lever by connections permitting a change of leverageof the rod with respect to the lever, and means for causing the rod tomove endu rise'to move thelever and to lshift the pinion into engagementwith the engine gear,

andfor tendin to produce sidewise movement of lthe ro to 'reduce theability of the 'rodto maintain the'shifting lever out of normalposition. The connections between the rod` and lever are such asto.prevent the sidewise movement of the rod until after invention will beapparent from the following descri Ytion of a preferred form thereof,

` e referencel ingA made'to theaccompanyingv y irawin'gs. I

- Inthe drawingsc` Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation,

`/partly inlongitudi-nal section, 'of a form of bodying the present .I o

p n enen-cles therod-'w-aud 1s held normally 1n m starting apparatuslera inventlony y the pinion may be auto- I' matically demeshed -from theengine gear 2 is a view taken substantially on thev`v the apparatus inposition 'for engine crankmg; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig,..1.

` Inthe drawings, designates an electric motor which drives a shaft 21,provided with s iral splines 22, a stop collar 23 and a sto s loulder24,-the latter being integral. with the shaft or provided by means of aseparate tubular member surrounding the shaft. The motor 20 includes aeld frame'25 attached to a gear housing 26, providing one of the endframes of. the motor and supportlng a bearing 27 and one end of theshaft 21. The left-hand end of shaft 21 (not shown) is supported by thefield frame in a well-known manner. Thrust, washers 28 are locatedbetween the sto collar 23 and a machined surface 29 provided by thehousing 26.

A pinion 30 threadedly engages the spiral s lines 22 and has av hub 31provided with anges 32 and 33 including a groove 34.

The groove 34 is engaged by a shifting lever having bifurcations and 41connected by yoke -42 and pivoted upon a rod 43, supported by brackets44 and 45 which are formed integral with lthe housing 26. A set screw 46maintains the rod 43 in position as shown 4 1n Fig. 2.' A spring 47tencircles a spacing sleeve 48l surrounding the rod 43, and said springbears at one end 49 upon the housing 26 and at the other end 50 againstthe yoke 42.

The mechanism for shifting the-lever 40,

the rod 43. The pin 54 is provided wit a head 56 limiting endwisemovement ofv the pin 54 in one direction, said pin being secured against`endwise movement inv the opposite direction byal washer 57 and a cotterpin 58. The head 56 is provided with a hole `for receiving a rod 59,

upper end screw threads for engaging nuca 60 and at its lower end a head61 provided with a dance ,62 and a ball l63 received by a socket '64which is attached by a set screw 65 to a rodsee Fig. 4). A spring 67 llooA having at its ,i

block 68 having a trunnion 69'which ivotally supports the block 68 upona switc case 70 or other suitable bracket. VThe rod 66 carries a collar71 which may be adjusted along the rod 66. and-secured thereto byv ascrew 72. Rod 66 carries at one end a fork 73 extending on both sides ofthe shifting lever arm 40, which is provided with an irregular opening74 for receivin a roller 75 journaled on a pin 76 which passes throughthe branches ofthe fork 73 and through the opening 74. Endwise movementof the pin 76 islimited by its head and by a cotter pin 78. The opening74 includes a notch 79 for a purpose to be described.

The switch ease 70 supports a switch actuating plunger 8O normallymaintained by a spring 81 in position shown in Fig. l, the vplunger 80being-arranged in the path of movement of a screw 82. The screw 82 isendwise movable through a hole provided by the lever 53 and is securedin the required position of adjustment by nuts 83 and 84. The switchcase l70 is secured` by a screw 85 to the motor frame 25 and carries aswitch terminal 86l adapted to be connected "with a source. of current..The vplunger 80 carries a movable contact (not shown) which cooperatesin' a well-known manner with stationary contacts,-one beingconnertedwith the terminal .86 and the other with the field windings of themotor.

vce

The pedal 51 and parts connected therewith, are maintained normally inthe position shown in Fig. 1, by a spring 90 encircling the rod 52andlocated between the pedal 5l and the cup member 91, supported by thefloor 92 of the automobile, and provided with an opening through whichthe rod 52 extends.

' The operation of the invention lows:

To start the engine the pedal 51 is depressed, thereby p'ushing thelever 53 downwardly, which transmitsthe motion through is as fol-` thespring 67 to the collar 64. This motion 'tends to more the rod 66endwise through vthc block 68 and to rotate the rod 66 in a clockwisediiection. Endwise movement of the rod 66 to the left of the drawings,causes the lever 40 to be moved in a counter-clockwise direction, and toengage the flange 33 and shift the pinion 30 into mesh with the enginegear 100.

As long as the pinion 30 is being moved to the right by reason ofpressure exerted by the pedal 51, the roller 75 will he retained withinthe notch '79 of the opening 74. Therefore, the rod 66 will not turn ina 4clockwise direction, although there isy a tendency forv it toA turnin this direction due to the direction of the force applied by meshed. iAfter closing the motor switch by pedal operation, the motor willoperate to move the pinion 30 against thestop collar 23 and into fulldriving engagement with the gear 100. When the motor switch is closed bythe engagement of screw 82 with plunger l 80, vas shown in Fig. 3, thestop collar 71 engages. the 'block 68, thereby limitingethe movement ofthe rod 66- to thefleft by virtue of pedal operation. Consequently, lmovement of the roller .toward the left will be arrested. However, theoperation of the motor to thread the pinion 30 toward the right afterhaving been engaged with the gear 100, causes the ange 32 connected withpinion 30 to engage the lever 40 and finally move it into the positionshown in `full lines in Fig. 3. \Motion of the lever 40 relative to theroller 75 is produced, thereby moving the notch 79 away from the roller7'5. 'When this occurs, the rod 66 will movel into the position shownfinFig. 3, due -to the 'action' of spring 67.

The effect of the`pressure lby roller 75 Fupon-the lever 40 is reversedby the movement of-roller 75 from rthe position shown in Fig. 1 to theposition shown in Fig. 3.

sof

In Fig. 1, the action of ythe roller` is to move I the`.lever 40counter-clockwise, but in Fig.

l3, the action of roller 75 is to move the lever 40 clockwise.Therefore, when the engine becomes self-operative and the*4 gear 100tends to overrun the gear 30, the gear 3 0 will be automaticallydisengaged fromgear 100 ydue to the spiral-spline connection betweengear 30 and the shaft-21. Gear 30 is free to move toward the leftintothe normal position shown in Fig. 1. although the pedal 5l may notyet be` released, be-V cause the connections between the pedal 51' andthe lever 40 have been modified.` The'` leverage: of pressure exerted byrollerl 75 upon the lever 40, having been reversed. as previouslyexplained, the lever 40 is frc'c iio to turn into its normal positionindicated by the head 56 of pin 54 will engage the adf jacent nut 60,thereby causing the rod 59.-

to move upwardly and the rod 66 to return to the position shown in Fig.1.l During the upward movement of roller 75, it will bear [the rollerf5-approaches the note opening 7.4. The pressure between the roller 7 5and the surface 74" yieldingly main tainedby the actionof the springl ,l

- 79, tie

Alever 40 will yieldslightly in a counter- 75 will be received by`thenotch 79 asthe clockwisedirection; and, finally, the roller leverAOfinally returns to normal position 80 to normal position and lthus openthe motor switch;

In case the teeth of fthe gear 30 fail to'- register with the toothspaces of gear 100 so that registration i's prevented by abutment of theteeth of gears 30 and 100, mo-

ytion of thelever 40 and rod 66 will be arrested.` Continued pressureupon the pedal 51 will cause the screw 82to engage the plungerSO andclose the motor switch. The

motor will rotate the shaft 22'. slightly to register the vgear'O withtooth spaces o f the gear 100. The springtl', which has been further.compressed by the operation of pedal 51 to close themotor switch, willbe released .to` move or jump, 4the pinion 30.

into engagement with thel gear 100. After this occurs, the operation ofthe motor` will movethe pinion into full driving engage' ment againstthe stop 23,'and the connec-l tions between the pedal 51 and the lever40 will be modified as described heretofore.

4In case the'enginefshould fail to start yafter the` gears 30 and, 100have been en-v gaged, the gear 30 wouldremain in engagement with thegear 100. However, the

'pedal 51 maybe released and the mo'tor switch'will open so thatloperation of the motor will be discontinued.

Itl is apparent from the foregoing dc'- -sci'iption that if theconnections between the pedal- 51 and leverv 40 were notl modified,vtlie demeshing of the pinion` 30 fromthe gear 100 would be hindered bycontinued pressure by the operator, upon `pedal 51.

In the present invention these connectionsl are so modified, thatinstead of being a hindrance, continued pressure vupon the ypedal 51afterthe engine starts-is slightly beneficial to the automaticdisengagement of the pinion 30 from the gear100.VY

. engine gear including a While the forni of embodiment of the inventionas herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to beunderstood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within thescope of the claims which follow.

' What is claimed is as follows#- r1. Engine starting apparatuscomprising,

in combination, a gear connected with an en ine to be started; andAelectricmotor; driving connections between the motor and pinion drivenby the motor and movable' into engagement with the engine gear, saidconnections into be changed,and means for causingthe rod to move endwisetomove the lever and to shift the pinion into en agement with the enginegear and for tending to rodnce sidewise movement of the rod to 're ncethe leverage of the rod with respect 'to the lever. said connectionsnormally preventing said sidewise movementbut released by the operationof the motor inmoving the pinion into full enga ement with the enginegear.

2. Engine starting apparatus comprising, in combination, a gearconnected with an engine to'be started; an electric motor; drivingconnections between the motor and engine gear including a` pinion drivenby the motor and movable into engagement with the engine ear, saidconnections including means there y the pinion will be moved by motoroperation into full driving engagement with the engine gear after havingbeen meshed therewith, and whereby the pinion may be automaticallydisconnected from the engine gear when the en ine becomesselfoperati've: a motor switci; and means for moving the pinion intocontact with the engine gear and for closing said'switch,

said means including a pinion shifting and endwise slidable rod, a

into engagement with the engine gear and `for tending to4 producesidewisepivotal movementof the rod to reduce the leverage of the rodwith respect to the lever, and means for limiting endwise movement ofthe rodto that required for partial engagement of pinion and gear, saidnotch being constructed and arranged sol that the part is retainedwithin the notch while pressure is being transmitted from the -rod tothe lever at the notch, the part being freed from the notch to permitthe rod to move sidewisc by the operation of the motor in movingthepinion into full engagement with the engine gear.

3. Engine starting apparatus comprising,

in combination, a gear connected with an engine to be started; anelectric motor; driving connections between the motor and en'- gme gearincluding a pinion driven by the been. meshed therewith, andv'vherebythe pinion may be aitomaticallyl disconnected from theeginegear when the ,engine becomes self-operative; a motorpswitch;h andmeans for moving the pinion into contact with the engine gear and forclosing said switch, said meansincluding a pinion shifting lever, a rodslidably p'voted upon a stationery end of t e rod and en aged by anotched portion of the shiftingever, a dal operated lever pivotedconcentriea ly of the shiftin lever, la yieldingconnection between thepe al 'lever and rod for causing the. rodl part, a' roller carried bythe free gine gear.

navigano to move endwise to .move'theshiftin'g lever and -to shift; thepinion into enga ement with the gear and totendto move t e 'rod sidewiselto reduce the leverage of Athe rod with respectto the" lever, andmeansfor limitingthe .endwise movement of the' rod -to that required forpartial engagement'. .of pinion and gear, -said notchbeing 4constructedand arranged so that the Vrollervissv retained within the notch whileIpressure .is being transmitted from the rodto the lever .so at thenotch, the roller being fr-rom'tlle notch to permit the .rod to movesdevv'ise `b the operation of the motor in movingthe l pinion into fullengagementffwith the en'- In testimony whereofuete amxpmy Signature. v

FREDERICK vJ HARDMaNi a y

